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Plans to redevelop a key block in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood met with opposition

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Plans from two well-known Charlotte developers to transform a block along one of NoDa’s main thoroughfares into apartments and shops have hit a hurdle, as nearby residents say they oppose the project.

Ascent Real Estate Capital filed a rezoning petition late last month, asking the city to allow the firm and its partner, Centro Cityworks, to build up to 225 apartments and 15,000 square feet of retail space in a five-story building.

The developers plan to build smaller-than-average apartment units and retail space. It’s similar to the Centro Railyard apartments they built in South End, and the firms are working on another project in Wilmore on the site once home to Sauceman’s Restaurant.

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But about 30 nearby neighbors — a group that has been growing as the NoDa project gains steam — say they are concerned that the proposed building is too tall given its proximity to single-family homes. Some residents say they are also worried about NoDa losing its identity, and are concerned about the NoDa development looking like the buildings in South End.

“If I wanted to move to South End, I would’ve moved to South End,” said Candace Oliver, a NoDa resident since 2007. “I like our eclectic neighborhood.”

David Furman, a local architect and principal with Centro Cityworks, said the team is having an ongoing dialogue with the community, and is still working through the specifics of its site plan. He said they had to file a rezoning soon to get on the city’s docket, but that he doesn’t expect Charlotte City Council to make a decision until the fall.

There’s plenty of time for the specifics of the design to evolve, and we plan on sticking with the neighborhood and seeing if we can get people excited about it,” he said.

Prime real estate

In a fast-changing neighborhood near the light-rail, it was almost inevitable that a 1.5-acre lot with a large patch of grass would be developed.

The site, along 36th Street between North Alexander and North McDowell streets, has been home to Johnston Memorial Presbyterian Church and one of the six campuses of megachurch Forest Hill Church. But Forest Hill moved from the NoDa location to Eastland in January, Campus Pastor Keith Burney told the Observer recently.

The Presbytery of Charlotte appointed an administrative commission in 2018 to help Johnston Memorial, which owns the site, make decisions about its future, said Molly Griffin, chairwoman of the commission.

She said the property was under contract with Forest Hill, but Forest Hill decided not to go through with the purchase. So instead, the commission decided to go under contract with the current development team.

Griffin said in an email the commission supports the development, and “looks forward to seeing the proposed project come to life.” She said the commission plans to use the proceeds from the sale for charitable purposes aimed at honoring the church’s history and the congregation’s wishes.

The site, where the patch of grass has become a de facto park, has sat idle while NoDa has witnessed a development boom, especially near the light-rail.

When the city makes billions of dollars in investment in transit infrastructure, then there’s gotta be places for higher density,” said Collin Brown, a land-use attorney at Alexander Ricks PLLC who is working with the developers.

Larken Egleston, the City Council member who represents the area, said the rezoning process offers an opportunity to find a middle ground between the community and the developer.

All of those details are important things that have to be worked through,” he said. “But I think that anyone who is being honest would admit that it was inevitable that something was going to be built there.”

Neighborhood concerns

Several neighbors said they understand that the site will be developed, and they welcome it. But they said they want the project to be sensitive to the character of the historic neighborhood, and to the proximity of the site to single-family homes.

“I think it would be naive to think that we’re not going to have a lot more density in our area due to the light rail and due to the popularity,” said Kati Mayo, a resident in the area since 1998. But she said she opposes the scale and number of units in the proposed development and would like to see the church repurposed.

There has to be some sort of give-and-take to a certain degree.”

Paul Oppold, who lives on the same block as the project, said he was attracted to the neighborhood because of its distinctive style and history. His home was once a one-room schoolhouse for the community of mill workers.

There is a tipping point at which NoDa is no longer NoDa,” he said. “Is it this building? I don’t know. At some point, you no longer have the character of a mill neighborhood.”

Oliver said she’s concerned about the rising costs of the neighborhood, and that she would like to see affordable housing included, especially since the church said it is donating the proceeds from the sale.

This neighborhood is built on the backs of working-class people,” Oliver said. “You can’t afford to be over here if you’re not making $100,000 a year.”

The plans do not include affordable housing, Furman said, but the smaller size of the units is designed to make them cheaper than other market-rate apartments. The exact rental rates have not been determined yet.

The project also includes smaller retail spaces, which are about 400 square feet in the South End building, he said. That is intended to give opportunities to small businesses that may not be able to afford a traditional storefront.

Tim Reitz, a NoDa resident who supports the project, said he is excited about the retail and hopes it could offer an opportunity to diversify the businesses in the area.

Plans for the church?

Oppold and several other residents said they would like to see the church preserved and repurposed in some way, but Furman said that’s not on the table.

In response to some of the neighborhood’s requests, Furman said they plan to turn a single-family lot that is part of the site they plan to purchase but not part of the development into green space.

Furman said while the project’s concept is similar to the projects they have worked on in South End, he doesn’t want to design it the same way.

“We don’t do the same thing over and over again,” he said. “I would love to know what the neighborhood thinks it should look like.”